Celebrating Life and Death
by Girl-of-Action
Summary: Danny's birthday was, thankfully, as close to normal as his half-life gets nowadays. His deathday the following week? Not so much. Quick one-shot inspired by my conversations with Astral Demon. Thanks for chatting with me, Astral!


Danny's 17th birthday went something like this. Danny ecto-blasted his alarm clock, only for his efforts to stay asleep be in vain when Jazz patiently (but firmly) woke up her younger brother. Some toast and jelly was in one hand and a can of soda in her other. The breakfasts of kings, right there. Or the breakfasts of a couple of kids who can't make anything more elaborate without the risk of ectoplasmic contamination.

Danny was cooed over by his mother, and given a fond pat that almost knocked him over by his father. He's promised a day of fun after school and is offered a drive to said school by his father. While Jack is off searching for the keys to the Fenton's Family Assault Vehicle, Danny and Jazz made their escape in the elder sibling's car. At school, Danny is given to perfectly awesome gifts from his friends: the newest DOOMED video game from Tucker and the newest horror movie (Dead Teacher 5) from Sam. Too bad Dash decided to 'give' his own 'present' to Danny too, once the jock found out it was the smaller boy's special day. In fear of a wedgie that would probably leave his poor rear side aching for the rest of the day, Danny made his escape. It's not like his teachers weren't used to that 'delinquent' Danny Fenton skipping school after all, and who knew? Maybe they'd give him a break and not give him detention the next day, since it was his birthday… (Yeah, right. And Skulker would one day decide he _doesn't_ want his pelt and swears his undead loyalty to him)... Danny snorted at the thought-

And was hit by a sleek, black briefcase a moment later. "Happy birthday, dear boy," came a suave, smug, know-it-all voice that made Danny's blood boil. "I would just _love_ to stick around, visit with you and your mother on this special day…" Vlad Masters raised a hand at the signs of the younger halfa about to give his usual threats to stay away from him and his family. "Unfortunately, I have a pressing conference that just cannot be rescheduled… Unless, of course, it's for the sake of a precious son and loyal apprentice…" A suggestive eyebrow is raised.

"How unfortunate," Danny mocked, and Vlad frowned. "Get lost, Plasmius," Danny followed up spitefully.

An exaggerated sigh is given, a dramatically hurt expression made. "If you insist. My number is in the briefcase if you (miraculously) come to your senses. Ta~" The limo door shut and a brief moment later it was like it (and it's infuriating passenger) were never there… If it weren't for the intimidating looking black briefcase, that is. Danny stared down at the briefcase, leery. Without a second thought or even checking to see what is inside, he threw it into the school's dumpster and headed for the park.

One secret superhero's trash is another math nerd's treasure, they say. Or something like that. Later on in the day Mickey the math nerd was trash diving to sell stuff on Ebay, as he tends to do. You see, his parents don't give him an allowance and hours of dumpster diving beats hours of physical labor, in his humble opinion… (Book smarts doesn't necessarily transfer to common sense, it would seem). When he found a relatively unscathed and practically polished briefcase, Mickey the Math Nerd was naturally curious. What he found inside transcended his most wild, pleasurable nerd dreams…

No, it wasn't the card that caught his interest. Signed simply "To my little badger, this gift is only a taste of what awaits you" with a phone number written under it, only managed to weird out the pimple-plagued sixteen year old. No, what made this discovery transcend his dreams was the actual gift.

"A brand new, spankin', state of the art DALV laptop…" Mickey gasped in wonder. "Illegally downloaded copy of _Dead Teacher 5_ within only a minute of needed waiting, here I come!" the boy cheered.

But enough of that. Back to the hero of our story. After a few hours nap in the park, interrupted only twice by the Box Ghost and Kempler, Danny was picked up by his sister and driven home. After that, Danny was taken by his parents to Amity's local astronomy and space themed museum that opened up on his birthday last year. A bit of research by Tuck brought up who was responsible last year. (Can you guess who?) But hey, just because Danny would never join the guy doesn't mean he can't enjoy his pathetic attempts to make him turn to the dark side.

After a fun, miraculously ghost-free trip to the museum that left Danny in good cheer, he ended the day with pre-made cake from a local store and gifts from his family. The former was delicious, and the latter was sweet. New CDs from Humpty Dumpty is always sweet.

All in all, Danny's birthday was as close to normal as it ever gets.

His 3rd deathday only a week later? Not even that close.

Before, the only people (alive or dead) who took notice of this day was Team Phantom: Jazz, Tuck, Sam and of course Danny himself. Suddenly however, every friendly ghost (and even some not-so-friendly ones) were coming out of the woodwork (aka ghost portal) to wish him a 'Happy Remembrance Day'.

"What's that all about?" Danny wondered out loud, an amulet from Dora around his neck and a pan full of lasagna in his hands. And he hadn't even gotten to school yet!

"Today's your deathday, Danny," Sam reminded after a brief shared glance with Tuck.

Danny blinked. "It is?" They stared at him with eyebrows raised. "It is!" he cried, and would have facepalmed if he didn't have his hands full with the Lunch Lady's home made lasagna. "You think they know?" Danny questions his friends, befuddled.

Tucker shrugged. "How would they have figured out?"

Danny noded slowly. "Yeah. And who in their right mind would celebrate their _death_? Maybe this Remembrance Day is something different altogether," he suggested.

Sam rolls her eyes some. "Danny, I think you're looking at this from the wrong perspective. The _human_ perspective. For a ghost, their deathday is practically when they were reborn, right?"

Danny mulled over this for a moment. "I guess, and maybe it's about remembering their former life and the people from it too. Kinda bittersweet, if I think about it, and not that morbid at all."

Sam smiled. "Exactly," she assured, pressing her hand on her friends back and urging him toward her house.

"Wowa, Sam, what are you doing? I get we can't go to school, but your house isn't really a great substitute."

"We're just gonna drop by to pick up your presents, dude. No biggie," Tuck returned, sharing a secret smile with Sam.

"Presents?!" Danny squaked in surprise.

A few minutes later saw to 3/4s of Team Phantom huddled around Sam Manson's black satin bed. On top of the bed, were Danny's presents. "You… you got me a badass looking scythe prop… and a toy lightsaber?" He questioned with interest, that quickly turned to excitement. "Awesome! This will look great the next time I cosplay for a convention!" He announced amiably as Tucker snickered in the background. Without much though, Danny picked up the 'toy lightsaber', looking down the barrel and reaching for the on button.

"No!" Sam and Tuck cried out unanimously, the former having just a enough time to point the 'toy lightsaber' in another direction before a _very real_ , futuristic green blade popped into existence. Danny's jaw dropped open in shock.

Then, with a small squeak of surprise and next to no thought, he lets go and jumps back. "Danny!" his friends cry out and horror, watching in helplessness as the very real blade proceeds to slice through Sam's beautifully gothic bed and then the floor underneath. "You dummy!" Sam screeched, smacking Danny on the back of his head as she runs out, Danny close on her heels. Having figured he shouldn't leave the also very real, black and green, double scythe lying around on the remnants of Sam's bed, Tucker swiftly (and carefully) grabbed said weapon and followed.

Cries of alarm were heard from the floors below, as maids and a butler backpedaled away from the blur of green suddenly appearing in front of them; Danny and his friends invisibility phased through floors just behind the runaway lightsaber. Again and again, the blade sliced through floor and ceiling, completely unhindered by any material in it's path of destruction. "Dear God, have mercy!" Jeremy yelped in fright, Team Phantom invisibility phasing through the kitchen's ceiling just in time to see the lightsaber slice through Mr. Manson's morning newspaper in hand and part of his pants, miraculously leaving him unscathed. Mrs. Manson turned around with a plate of delicious looking eggs only to drop it at the sight of her husband in disarray along with the newspaper in half, smoking ominously.

"What a waste," Tucker said mournfully at the dropped, still steaming eggs.

"Shut up," hissed Sam, shaken that her father almost got cut in half by something that by all rights should only exist in science fiction movies. "Move, Danny."

"Right," he replied hoarsely, phasing them through the kitchen floor. They were now in the mansion's theater, yet strangely enough, there is no sign of the lightsaber or any real destruction on this level.

"Where'd it go?" Tuck asked the question they are thinking.

"Oh no, I _lost my lightsaber_ ," Danny remarked in horror. " _I lost my real lightsaber_! What if someone finds it and thinks it's a toy like I did?"

"You better pray not!" Sam returned threateningly, and Danny gulped as he turns them visible and set his friends gently on the floor.

"Well," came a cheerful, cackling voice behind them that makes Team Phantom jump in alarm. "-this isn't something one sees every day, even in Amity Park!" More cackling. They whirl around to see-

"Grandma Ida!" Sam gasped, staring as her grandmother holds they're missing lightsaber by the hilt with complete ease.

Ida's grin widened at the gobsmacked look on the children's faces. "I came here to watch some good ol' science fiction, but it looks like it found me instead!" With a mixture of giddiness and keen interest, she waved the lightsaber in hand.

Danny, stuttering some, questioned, "D-did you _catch_ it?"

"I sure did, youngster."

Tucker, more dramatically, asked, "ARE YOU A JEDI?!" while falling to his knees in reverence. "Please, Master Ida, teach me what you know!"

Seeming amused, the old, eccentric lady quirked an eyebrow, still sitting on her old lady scooter with lightsaber in hand. "Jedi? No, not quite."

"Close enough," Tucker continued to plead, only for Ida to chuckle fondly.

"How long have you known?" Danny blurted, and Sam appeared sheepish at the inquiry. Danny, noticing this, openly gaped. "You _knew_ that she knew?"

"It may have slipped my mind," Sam muttered, shooting Danny an apologetic expression that left Danny dumbstruck. It wasn't like Sam to forget things, especially something so important.

"Mmm, don't look all frightened now. I've known for a long while. What you kids do is impressive. I couldn't be more proud." The three teenagers beamed at the praise.

Voice thick with emotion, Danny said, "Thank you…" he searched for something to call the kindly old lady.

She waves her hand in the air. "Bah! Just call me Grandma Ida. It'd be my honor to call all of you and your sister my _nechedim_ … Hebrew for grandchildren," she added at Danny's and Tuck's confused looks.

Danny gave another heartfelt thank you. Tucker, on the other hand… "Sweet! I have the most badass grandma ever!" He said with a heartfelt fist pump that Grandma Ida seemed quite pleased with.

"Tucker- Grandma Ida's ego doesn't need that big of a boost," Sam commented wryly. "Or any boost really."

"Oh, hush, you," Grandma Ida chided good-naturedly. She turned off the lightsaber, leaving the four of them in relative darkness without it's green glow. She tried to turn it on again, only for it not to work. Her eyebrows shot up. "Nice fail safe," she complimented.

"Thanks," Tucker responded automatically. "It was designed so that only Danny's ectoplasmic signature could activate it…" His voice trailed off at Danny's blatant staring.

"How… How do you know so much about ecto-tech?"

Here Sam took over. "Jazz helped us snatch a few of your parents blueprints that were similar to what we had in mind. After that we took the blueprints and our ideas to Frostbite and he taught us all we needed to know, not to mention helped us forge them. You can consider these a joint gift from Jazz, me, Tucker and all of Far Frozen… Although the original idea for the double scythe comes from me, and the lightsaber one is from Tucker."

Danny almost staggered back at the admission, and he can't help the laughter that bubbled up. "Of course," he breathed. "Of course the gothic scythe comes from you, and the futuristic lightsaber from Tuck." He laughed harder, actually starting to bend over himself. "How can something be so corny and so awesome at the same time?" he wondered out loud. Tucker snickered and Sam smirked, merely shrugging.

"Who knows, but it works, right?" Sam nudged Danny gently with one elbow.

Danny wiped a tear away, grinning at the other occupants of the darkened theater. "Yeah, it works." Right after he assured this, a piece of the ceiling fell down and hit Tucker on the head, making him yelp and move away (double scythe still in hand). Up above they could faintly hear the alarmed voices of Sam's parents. "Maybe a little too well..." Danny mused, to the others' murmured agreement.


End file.
